FCC Issues Latest Irma Update

The FCC said more than a third (38.9%) of cell sites in Puerto Rico are out of service, according to its Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS) for Hurricane Irma in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The agency also said more than 50% of cell sites are out in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The agency had no direct comparisons to the day-before figures because the FCC extended the reporting area to the entirety of both.

The FCC triggered the status reports for Irma -- as it had for Hurricane Harvey -- on Sept. 6 and will certainly extend it to Florida soon.

DIRS is a voluntary web-based reporting system that communications outlets — broadcast, cable, wireless, wireline — use to keep the FCC apprised of the status of their communications infrastructure.

The FCC has limited information on cable and broadcast, but said that given widespread power outages, it has reports that large percentages of cable and wireline subs are without service. According to what it said was limited information, no broadcasters are off the air in the affected areas.